A piece of wedding cake more than forty years old might not be everyone's dream purchase but for one bidder in Leeds, it's the ultimate auction coup.
A mystery internet buyer from the city has purchased a slice of the Prince and Princess of Wales wedding cake at auction, paying top dollar for the slab - which features a marzipan base and a large piece of icing emblazoned with a sugared onlay of the royal crest.
The bidder forked out nearly £2,000 for the extra mature slice, which comes from one of 23 official wedding cakes released when Charles and Dianna got married in 1981. A serious amount of money to spend on a cake that you (probably) can't actually eat.
The cake was stored wrapped in clingfilm in a floral tin for years / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
The slice was originally given to Moya Smith, who was a member of the Queen Mother's household in residence at Clarence House at the time of the wedding.
She'd begun her career in the kitchen, before moving on to more general duties in the household at the suggestion of Lady Jean Rankin.
Moya preserved the topping with cling film, before storing it in an old floral cake tin labelled "Handle with Care - Prince Charles & Princess Diane's (sic) Wedding Cake" and dated 29/7/81, where it then sat for quite a few years before being sold by her family to a collector in 2008.
Since being sold in 2008, the cake came up for auction once again - this time around the time of what would've been the couple's 40th wedding anniversity.
The fourty-year-old royal wedding cake slice went under the hammer in Gloucestershire on Wednesday, and was initially expected to go for somewhere between £300 and £500.
However, auctioneers were pleasantly surprised to find a huge amount of interest in the cake - which ended up in a flurry of bigs that pushed the final sale price to £1,850.
"We were amazed at the numbers of people wanting to bid on this large and unique piece of royal cake icing," said Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter Auctioneer.
"It seemed to get far more attention than when we sold it with a Charles & Diana thank you letter 13 years ago.
"There were lots of inquiries from bidders, mostly in the UK, USA and several countries in the Middle East.
It's thought that the slice up for auction comes either from the side of a cake, or from the top of a single-tier cake / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
"The bidding started at £300 and with commission bids, the internet and phone bidding, quickly rose to the winning price of £1,850.
"It was bought by an internet bidder in Leeds.
"As yet we haven't had a chance to speak to them to get a reaction or ask why they bought it, but it seems that this was an irresistible piece of royal memorabilia history for many."
Prince Charles and Lady Dianna married in 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29 and had a total of 23 wedding cakes at the ceremony.
The couple's centrepiece cake was a five-tiered creation, but there were also some 22 other cakes supplied for the occasion by various bakers.
The cake was sold with a printed ceremonial and order of service programmes for the wedding, as well as a memorial Royal Wedding Breakfast programme for Buckingham Palace.
Feature image - Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
News
Leeds cinemas are offering tickets to see big blockbusters for just £4 this weekend
You can watch some of the year’s biggest blockbusters for just £4 this weekend.
That’s because, to celebrate National Cinema Weekend (5-6 September), Vue has announced that it’ll be offering cut-price tickets to everything from the latest blockbusters and family favourites, to indie horrors and classic re-releases so you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the full cinematic experience this autumn.
Some of the highlights currently showing that you’ll be able to see for just £4 include summer hits like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Toy Story 5, as well as the recent release of Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi.
Family favourites such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, and Cars will also be screening over National Cinema Weekend.
Meanwhile, horror fans can also catch new releases Insidious: Out of the Further, and indie horror Leviticus, or see the year’s biggest horror hit, Obsession, if you haven’t already.
The best bit about the offer? It applies to every seat on every showing, all weekend long. Just pass us the popcorn now.
This means that film lovers can enjoy Vue’s biggest and comfiest seats, Ultra Lux, which are strategically positioned to give the best possible view of the big screen – with extra-wide armrests, back and leg rests that recline independently, a personal table for snacks and beverages, and a state-of-the-art wine cooler, all for just £4 each.
“We encourage everyone to make the most of the celebration and enjoy a film at Vue.”
National Cinema Weekend returns for 2026 this Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, and you can book tickets on the Vue website here.
Major DJ has set cancelled as overcrowding concerns continue at Leeds Festival
Clementine Hall
After closing for the entire second day, The Warehouse stage at Leeds Festival has once again been forced to evacuate.
One of the most anticipated dance acts of the day has been cancelled due to health and safety concerns just moments before the set.
Sheffield DJ Silva Bumpa was due to take to The Warehouse stage today at 1:30pm, but the set was cancelled due to overcrowding.
It's not the first time this has happened at Leeds Festival 2026, as yesterday Omar+'s set was cancelled due to the same issue and the stage was subsequently closed for the rest of the day.
The Warehouse stage is completely new for this year, and supposedly is designed specifically for dance music...which is quite ironic.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Silva Bumpa said: "So so sorry Leeds Fest but due to over crowding my set was cancelled last min I was just behind the stage and got told right before such a massive shame."
Prospa, another prominent DJ who's set was cancelled at Reading on Friday afternoon, spoke up on the situation: "We are disappointed in The Warehouse stage closure at Reading Festival. We were told it wasn't possible to play whilst on the way. This was due to too many people outside the stage.
"We have seen this happen before at larger festivals in the UK. It's time to double the capacity of tents or put dance music on the main stage."
It comes after another dance stage, LS23, was closed mid-set last night due to a health and safety hazard when all the lights suddenly switched off and ravers were forced to evacuate.
If yesterday is anything to go by, we wouldn't be surprised if The Warehouse was closed for the rest of the day which means anticipated sets from Rossi and Mall Grab will also be cancelled.
Georgina Pellant -
12th August 2021 
